I have had electric in the past and now have a propane All gas DCS range. I will never go back. As far as cost, per lb or gal (however they sell it) seems expensive but it lasts forever. When the power goes out we can cook! The BTU loss is not a lot on the ranges that come from the factory set for natural gas or propane. A few yrs ago a repair man had a list on the loss average and GE seemed to have the greatest loss - yet lots of people are happy with their GE's.

One word: INDUCTION.

As to BTUs: In our last house (CA) we had a 48" Wolf (natural) gas rangetop and in this house (VA) we have a 48" Wolf propane rangetop. WE CANNOT TELL ANY DIFFERENCE.

As to cost: I don't know how much propane is in your area, but I can hardly imagine a case where propane use would cost more than (radiant) electric use. If you have a large propane tank, you have the added advantage of being able to buy propane when it's at its seasonal low. And as mentioned by eandhl, propane also has the advantage of being able to cook when the power goes out.

As to weedmeister: Along with our Wolf rangetop, we have (on our island) a Wolf induction hub--the best of both worlds.

Two words INDUCTION - INDUCTION

We have a GE propane cooktop at our vacation place in the mountains (read that as heavy snow, fallen trees, no electricity) and absolutely love it. It's nothing special, just a 12 year old 4 burner cooktop. But it's nice to know we can still cook when we lose power. We have a Dacor natural gas cooktop at our home which of course has higher BTU burners. It takes a little longer for the pasta water to boil on the GE - but not because it's propane, the BTU's are much smaller.

Forgive my curiosity - what will you use to heat your home?

Our vacation home is heated with propane so we have a 1000 gallon tank buried. I don't think we've ever used 1000 gallons in a year but it's nice to know there's a large reserve on hand for those times when the plowman doesn't cometh.

rosewest writes: "my husband says he doesn't want to be limited on the cookware we can use on an induction range...."

While there possibly could be a problem with some of your existing pots and pans (when we switched to induction eleven years ago, all but one or two of our existing pans -- some of them 40 or 50 years old -- proved to be induction compatible), if you are buying pots or pans, there is no practical limitation.

For any specific size or shape or weight of pot or pan, there is an induction compatible version of the same size or shape or weight that from a cooking standpoint is every bit as good as (often better than) any non-induction-compatible pot or pan that your husband can think of (except, perhaps for woks). Often the induction compatible pot or pan will be less expensive than its crippled noninduction counterpart.

Unless he's thinking of glass or clay pots! (I have induction, by the way.)

leel writes: "Unless he's thinking of glass or clay pots!"

As you know, as long as there is liquid in the pot, you can use even glass or clay pots on induction with a ferrous steel trivet inside the pot.

I say go with propane if you are already plumbed for it. When we had to get a repacent for our glass cooktop, I tried to go propane, but the contractor that we got a bid from wanted a couple thousnd dollars just to run a line in our crawl space to the range. If you don't need to face that I'd get propane. Do you use it for hot water too? What about your clothes dryer? I bought another glass top and tried to go induction with a portable hot plate, but none of our cookware except for a couple of cast iron pots and pans were magnetic. Just spent a lot on our SS set so just returned the hotplate

I have a friend with a propane cooktop, 5 burner. I don't think the cost of using it is that much compared to the furnace. In your case, the big user will be the pool heater.

You would need to get one set up for propane. This is a matter of changing the 'jets' inside each burner. It is not a big deal and usually done by the dealer, or you order a propane version instead of a NG version.

If you live in a place with unreliable power, then having a gas cooktop is a good thing.

My mom didn't get gas for her remodel because of the cost of installing a line to the kitchen (+$1000). She got a coil top since all her pots/pans were either glass (Pyrex) or aluminum.

I use induction because all my pans are plain steel or stainless.

Trying to compare operational costs on different fuels is a bit more complex than looking at the price of a unit of energy.

First you must take the price of your energy unit and convert it to BTUs extracted. You must also use your cooktop's efficiency in the calculation and that won't be part of the specifications included with your cooktop.

There are also environmental issues to consider: generating electricity in the Northeast is very costly and produces polutants.

Generating electricity in the south is typically hydo and is clean and fairly cheap. LP can be purchased in the summer when cost is lower, like has been mentioned. Nat. Gas and electricity cannot be stored by a homeowner so you are at the mercy of prevailing market pricing at time of use.

All of this is a bit academic though as the cost to run any kind of residential cooktop for a year is not going to be very expensive regardless of the fuel selected. You're not running a restaurant where several stoves are going all day.

The REAL KICKER in all this is that rose's husband is worried about using propane to cook his eggs and steak because it MIGHT cost more than using electricity but he is willing to heat an entire pool full of water!

Want to save money? Stop heating the pool or switch it to solar and stop worrying about your cooktop's energy usage. It's a drop in the proverbial bucket.

"The REAL KICKER in all this is that rose's husband is worried about using propane to cook his eggs and steak because it MIGHT cost more than using electricity but he is willing to heat an entire pool full of water! Want to save money? Stop heating the pool or switch it to solar and stop worrying about your cooktop's energy usage. It's a drop in the proverbial bucket. "

WOW!!! Perhaps I'm being oversensitive here, but the tone of this response strikes me as being unnecessarily harsh, incredibly condescending, and certainly unkind---and, being new to this forum, definitely unexpected. I feel like I've just been spanked!! Actually, the REAL KICKER is that the house is newly purchased; we have not moved into it yet so we haven't actually heated anything, including the pool, which is why I asked the question. In fact, we intend to have the pool removed as soon as we take possession of the house. We have every reason to be concerned about watching our pennies, including weighing energy consumption, as my husband has recently retired and the home will probably be our last and we'll be on a fixed income. AND by the way, antss, my DH does almost ALL of the cooking, not just "his eggs and steak." Is this how you treat newbies here? I'll certainly be reluctant to pose a question here again anytime soon if this is how one can expect to be treated...

Everyone else who responded so courteously, kindly, and respectfully----Thank you. Your comments have been very helpful and much appreciated.

I don't think you're being oversensitive. I felt the same way when I read that comment. Congrats on your new home.

Antss is just "Antss". He has a "Rep" for "Telling it like it is"--buttt-- when ya have that many feet, You are bound to "Step in it" more often (Ya Thinks)? LOL

Many of us are concerned about energy usage here, my self included, (Not so much for economic reasons) as I just think Most utility companies, (Especially Electricity in Calif) are rippin' us off, so I try to give them as little of my economic resources as possible (Usually about $50/month).

I think folks that pointed you toward induction or gas are on the right track, regular electric stoves aren't all that efficient and a pita to clean. We have the induction and I think it is part of the reason for our "Low Electric Bill)---relatively speaking.

But---as ya know, a lotta folks like the gas, and choose whatever fits your lifestyle best!

Welcome to the Forum!!

Gary

Funny you mentioned getting rid of your pool. When we moved to our new home here in VA it too had a pool (as did our homes over the last 25 years). We, too, decided we didn't want it: didn't want the cost and trouble of maintaining it, didn't want the cost of running the pumps (let alone heating it), didn't even like the look of it.

Our friends (and contractor) thought we were crazy but we got rid of it. Best move ever. Absolutely no regrets.

I'm sure the 1,000 gallon underground propane tank had been installed mostly because of the pool (2 of our heat pumps do use propane as the b/u). The stove top that came with the house was electric. We now have the Wolf propane range top that we love (again, no difference at all in performance from the natural gas Wolf we had in CA). Since we use wood stoves for heat and the only other propane item is the back up generator we installed, we hardly use any propane at all.

We are in the country using a Kitchenaid propane cooktop. I wanted the gas for control although now I might opt for induction although I assume the cost is still high. Our power often goes out and as maire-cate said, we can still cook. However, for some reason it has never gone out during dinner prep; go figure?

Actually I am not happy with the KA cooktop propane retrofit. I guess it was too much trouble to design a separate unit for propane. I guess they do better with top end units like the Wolf mentioned above. The KA and others use a pressure control that can be reattached for either natural gas or propane, and a different set of smaller orifices for the propane. Unfortunately, this does not necessarily give perfectly tuned flames and extra replacement orifices may be needed; and they may not be available. In addition, the low, medium, high markings don't match the range of flame. That is, the flame reaches its max way before the control has reached its max, in some cases before the medium mark has been reached. I complained to KA extensively without a solution.

But now a digression about being spanked. I agree that antss might have been sweeter, but his comments were in fact perfectly reasonable, detailed and useful (certainly to lurkers like me and others) and directed to your concerns. Obviously the OP was offended and responded in kind. Personally, I felt it was doubling down. I would suggest that complaining about a spanking with another spanking is not really supporting the request for gentility.

I have had electric, natural gas, and propane. The only induction I have used is a portable burner (Waring), which I am told is nothing like a true, built-in, new unit. Nevertheless, it boils water very quickly! I would go with propane, of the choices you have available to you and given your husband's preferences. The vast majority of my pots and pans are copper and I wouldn't give them up. I enjoy cooking with flames, wokking indoors, roasting peppers over the flames, etc. (One of these days I will get an outdoor wok set up, which will also use propane.) Anyhow, my experience with propane in the kitchen appliances in two homes has been just fine. Also, people are fond of mentioning how efficient induction is, but getting electricity to your outlet (assuming that you're on grid--and if you're not, then we can discuss the issues surrounding rare earth metals, but I'll refrain) is highly inefficient, so if you're considering the big picture there is plenty to question about the use of induction at this point in our history.

Sorry you felt chided or spanked, wasn't my intention. Like dodge says - I call em like I see em, and you made no mention of not using or removing the pool. I'm many things, but psychic isn't one of them.

The advice is still spot on, even if it's if not packaged in a fluffy wrapper.

1. Your cooktop energy usage resulting cost per year is not really a big amount of your overall usage and dollars spent.

2. It's more than a few minute exercise computing the real cost of operating a cooktop AND some of the info will be hard or impossible to find!

3. The cost of a particular source of energy in your area AND the type of cooktop you use will have the biggest effect on your cost. ...but...

what if you choose induction at 90% efficiency and electricity is expensive in your area and you have to expense running a new heavy gauge electric line to your cooktop or upgrade your house service to allow the new elec. cooktop? Gonna be harder to compute.

4. You may or may not get lower btu's from a propane cooktop - It depends entirely on which model you select. Many have NO difference in output, some have higher with gas, and some just the opposite.

Conclusions: get whatever cooktop fits your needs, cooking habits, budget and aesthetic sense. Don't worry about whether electricity is more expensive than gas or if propane is more than either or none (FOR THE COOKTOP ) because the total cost per year to run it is not very much to begin with. Don't over think a problem that isn't really there.

BTW, welcome to the forum

geo91324---Our situations do sound very similar. In fact, we've been considering getting a Wolf cooktop and I'm very encouraged to hear that you've seen no difference in performance between the Wolf gas and the Wolf propane. The inspection is tomorrow and perhaps the inspector will have something to say about putting a propane line in from the fireplace to the kitchen. I am also VERY interested in hearing how you got rid of the pool! We had thought about listing it on Craigslist for free to a good home to anyone who would come and get it. But first we asked the realtor to see if the sellers would like to take it with them ;0 ) but she said they don't want it and the pools don't re-assemble well. So tell me---what did you do to get rid of yours?

Rose, removing a pool is unfortunately not as simple (or as cheap) as one would hope. The concrete on the bottom has to be completely broken up, otherwise there would be no drainage possible. We hired a professional landscape company that broke up the pool bottom and sides with a bobcat mounted jackhammer. For added measure, a 4 foot wide trench was dug to the dirt running the full length of the bottom of the pool. The top 2 feet of the pool sides were completely broken away. What remained of the shell was then filled with broken up concrete, coping and decking up to 2 feet from ground level. Dirt and water were then added to compact everything. After it settled, fill dirt and top soil was trucked in over the last 2 feet of what used to be the pool and leveled to the rest of the yard. And voila! $3,000 and 2 weeks later, no more pool!

We are in the planning phase of building new. I have only used electric for 35 years. Our options are electric vs. propane (tank in the yard) as we live rural. Our heat will be propane. My two big concerns (aside from getting used to cooking on gas instead of electric) would be (1) if the smell of propane is going to be a problem (chemical smells make me ill)...(2) do they even make a solid coil electric stove/cooktop anymore? Any coil stove I've seen looks...wimpy? Would appreciate some input.

1. start a new thread.
2. I've never noticed any smell from my friend's propane cooktop.
3. if you have a choice, depending on location, you might think about a hybrid heating system: electric heat pump with propane backup.
4. coil stoves do still exist. But if your rural location is subject to power outages of any duration you might want to think about a gas cooktop.

1. no smell from the propane cooktop (3 years use now)
2. Our heat is propane-fired - works great
3. We also installed a propane generator with an automatic transfer switch.
4. It took me a little while to re-learn cooking with gas after most of my adult life with electric, once I got back to it, I much preferred it.

Many considering your choice haven't used induction to cook anything. You can make an easier choice if you give induction a trial run at a showroom.